In 1980, a government scientist discovered that breast milk in the US was so contaminated with DDT, PCBs and other industrial poisons that, if it were cow's milk, it would be subject to ban by the US Food and Drug Administration. After two more decades of failed "chemical regulation," a 2001 study showed that babies everywhere in the world were drinking industrial toxicants in breast milk.

Despite tens of thousands of complaints about its cleansing conditioner for hair, an FDA investigation, and a $26 million payout to affected consumers, WEN by Chaz Dean and its parent company are still selling that product online and through QVC.

Two retailers of makeup geared to teens, on the other hand, voluntarily pulled their products from their shelves after a parent paid to have the products tested and found that eyeshadows and face powder contained traces of asbestos, which causes cancer.

Why the difference? Companies that make or sell beauty and personal care products can choose how to respond to consumer complaints, lawsuits, and government warnings -- something lawmakers in Congress are hoping to change.

Pizza has become a target, lumped into a nutritional axis of evil along with French fries and soda. New federal nutrition standards for school lunches squarely targeted pizza’s dominance in cafeterias. Menu-labeling rules have seemed particularly onerous to pizzeria owners. And in the popular imagination, no less than First Lady Michelle Obama and Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio have emerged as enemies of pizza in their push for healthier school lunches.

According to the nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG), “the EPA has determined that infants up to age 2 are, on average, 10 times more vulnerable to carcinogenic chemicals than adults, and from age 2 to 15 they are 3 times more vulnerable to carcinogens than adults. Before the age of 2 babies have accumulated 50% of their life-time cancer risk.”

A new study shows that early-life exposure to certain phthalates — a group of chemicals found in a wide variety of household items including shampoos, perfumes, nail polish, plastic toys, house building materials and more — is linked to lowered thyroid function in young girls.

At least one in six American children (roughly 17%) has a diagnosed developmental disability. No matter which once-rare disorder one considers, each has witnessed a dramatic escalation over the past several decades. A systematic literature review recently published in Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis contends that these trends are at crisis proportions. The crisis is spiraling out of control, with society-wide impacts on services, institutions, families and, especially, boys.

Stress, mental illness, anxiety, depression, and learning disorders—they are plaguing our children at ever-increasing levels. Schools are having trouble accommodating these students while suffering endlessly with discipline issues, violence, expulsions, stressed-out teachers and budget shortfalls. According to the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, up to 15-20 percent of children and adolescents aged three to eighteen are inhibited by mental problems.

A new year brings a flurry of legislative activity. Many states will be considering bills that limit vaccine choice, whether by eliminating or restricting exemptions or mandating vaccines for children or certain workers.

Children in the world today are exposed to thousands of environmental toxics, and these toxic chemicals are making our children sick. The federal government is not doing a good job of protecting our children against environmental toxics. Many members of Congress and the leadership of the Environmental Protection Agency have been corrupted by the chemical manufacturing industry, and the power of this industry has never been greater. Fortunately, all of us who care about children—parents, grandparents, teachers, doctors and nurses—have great power. We can educate ourselves about the environmental toxics that harm our children, and armed with that knowledge we take action to protect our children's health.

Most childhood cancer is diagnosed during the child’s first five years of life, with a peak incidence during the first year. The most common childhood cancer is leukemia, followed by lymphomas and brain cancers.

There are known links between toxic chemicals and childhood cancers, but much more research is necessary to determine why childhood cancer is on the rise. Since many childhood cancers appear early in the child’s life, research is focusing attention on prenatal exposures to cancer-causing agents as one piece in the puzzle of rising numbers of childhood cancer.

Fair Use Notice: The material on this site is provided for educational and informational purposes. It may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. It is being made available in an effort to advance the understanding of scientific, environmental, economic, social justice and human rights issues etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have an interest in using the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. The information on this site does not constitute legal or technical advice.

This material, provided for educational and informational purposes, constitutes a "fair use" of any copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have an interest in using the included information for research and educational purposes. Organic Consumers Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. To support our work, please send a tax-deductible donation to: OCA, 6771 South Silver Hill Dr., Finland, MN 55603Activist or Media Inquiries (218) 226-4164. Text JoinOCA to 97779 to join our mobile network.